Larb Gai (Thai Minced Chicken Salad)

Method

1. Put the rice in a dry 20 cm frying pan with no oil and toast it on medium-low heat for 6 min, shaking the pan constantly, until the grains are deep golden and smell nutty, like popcorn. Tip onto a plate to cool, then grind in a mortar or spice grinder to the texture of coarse sand. This toasted rice powder (khao khua) is what makes larb taste like larb.

   Add in this stepUncooked sticky (glutinous) rice, for toasting 1½ tbsp

   medium-low heat

2. Peel the shallots and slice them as thinly as you can. Cut the spring onions into 1 cm pieces, chop the coriander into 3 cm lengths and pick the mint leaves off the stems. Cut the cabbage into bite-size wedges and the cucumber into 5 mm diagonal slices for serving.

3. Pour the water into a 24 cm pan and bring it to a simmer on medium heat. Add the minced chicken and break it up into small crumbs with a spatula as it cooks for 5 min, until no pink remains and only a spoonful or two of liquid is left in the pan. Cooking it in water instead of oil keeps it moist and clean-tasting, the traditional way.

   Add in this stepWater 45 mlMinced chicken (thigh is juicier) 250 g

   medium heat

4. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for 1 min; if it is too hot, the lime loses its fragrance and the herbs wilt instantly. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and chilli flakes and stir well. If you are unsure about heat, add half the chilli now and the rest after tasting.

   Add in this stepFish sauce 1½ tbspFresh lime juice 2 tbspSugar ½ tspDried chilli flakes (Thai toasted chilli powder if you can find it) 1 tsp

5. Stir in the shallots, spring onions and toasted rice powder, then fold in the coriander and mint at the very end. Taste: it should be sour, salty and spicy all at once. Add a little more lime if it tastes too salty, or a dash of fish sauce if it tastes flat.

   Add in this stepShallots (or a small red onion) 1½Spring onions 2Coriander (cilantro) 10 gMint leaves 10 g

6. Pile onto a plate with the cabbage and cucumber alongside. Spoon some larb into a cabbage leaf and eat it as a wrap, or serve it warm with rice.

   Add in this stepCabbage, to serve 150 gCucumber, to serve ½